de LaB (Design East of La Brea) Gathering

DESIGN Gathering Hooray for Inglewood! The balance of cultural, cocktail, foodie and fashionista power in L.A. continues its steady shift inland. Everyone knows about Downtown, Highland Park, and Koreatown, but the new star on the block, so to speak, is Inglewood. This is partly the inevitable result of artists and students getting pushed out of developing hot spots elsewhere, and partly due to the treasure trove of interesting architectural history and potential in the place itself. Design is a big thing for me, so I always invite my friends to events such as this. After most la helicopter tours, when I can, inform them on what’s happening; and this is happening. Among the most inventive champions of this trend are the good people of de LaB (Design East of La Brea), a collective of thinkers, designers and contemporary cultural historians who make it their business to shine a light on the most progressive design thinking happening in L.A. To that end, they regularly sponsor gatherings at the studios (and sometimes built projects) of the artists and architects who are transforming not only how the city looks but how it defines itself in a new century. De LaB’s Califernication takes one such trip today to the Inglewood offices of (fer) studio, the minds behind Father’s Office and Zen Zoo, who are currently working on a massive Metro station project that includes green zones, agriculture and mixed-use public spaces in the heart of Inglewood. And because de LaB also focuses on local neighborhood appreciation, nearby drinks and continuing conversation are as inevitable as rezoning.